Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** 'Energy dominance' isn't working
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Monday, December 1, 2025
Oil and gas development, BLM Wyoming via Flickr ([link removed])
Despite President Donald Trump's and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum's best efforts to roll back public land protections and slash environmental regulations, oil production increases and corresponding price drops for American consumers have been negligible, according to reporting by the New York Times ([link removed]) . Since Trump's executive order to "unleash American energy" and the administration's corresponding policy initiatives, both oil production and gas prices at the pump are similar to those from one year ago.
Oil production has increased slightly to 13.9 million barrels per day, compared with a high of 13.4 million barrels per day during the Biden administration. Nationwide average gasoline prices are essentially unchanged, currently at $3.069 per gallon compared with $3.056 one year ago. Household electricity bills have increased by an average of eleven percent over the past year.
Meanwhile, the oil, gas, and coal industries are projected to receive at least $18 billion in tax breaks and subsidies as a result of Trump administration policies. Individual companies have confirmed to investors ([link removed]) that they expect to see hundreds of millions of dollars in tax savings in the near term. However, the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration may discourage further investment in oil and gas drilling, which could impact future profits. An analyst described ([link removed]) the first year of the Trump administration as "too confusing to be positive" for most companies.
"The ‘Drill, baby, drill’ agenda has caused a lot of harm to the climate agenda," said David Victor ([link removed]) , professor of public policy at the University of California San Diego. "I would say it has generated marginal benefits for the oil and gas industry and had almost no impact on consumers."
** Quick hits
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New national park fees for international visitors draw scrutiny
Inside Climate News ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed]) | WyoFile ([link removed])
'Energy dominance' tactic could derail federal permitting
Montana Free Press ([link removed])
Trump admin snaps up stakes in private firms involved in mining and nuclear energy
New York Times ([link removed])
Hunters fear bill would turn wilderness into militarized surveillance zone
Cowboy State Daily ([link removed])
Repercussions of DEI-related grant cuts are surfacing in national parks
SFGATE ([link removed])
In burned forests, the West's snowpack is melting earlier
KUNC ([link removed])
More than half the water use in the Rio Grande River Basin is unsustainable
KRCC ([link removed])
The mystery of wildlife and a world beyond our understanding
High Country News ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” National parks should be available and accessible to all, or America’s best idea will become America’s greatest shakedown.”
—Emily Thompson, Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, Associated Press ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@usinterior ([link removed])
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico transforms into a visual and auditory sensation with the arrival of sandhill cranes and geese for the winter.
In addition to viewing cranes and geese, you can see hawks, eagles, blackbirds, ravens, coots and ducks, along with occasional mammals, such as mule deer, coyotes and jackrabbits.
Photo by Robert Dunn
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